Psychological Disorders Chapter 14: Psychological Disorders Normal Brain Individual with Schizophrenia

Defining Psychological Disorders Upstate Defining Psychological Disorders How do we know whether behavior should be classified as a disorder? Depression - where does the normal blues leave off and disordered depression begin Anxiety.

Upstate Three criteria used to judge whether a behavior is disordered: Is the behavior. . . Deviant? Does it deviate from norm? Distressful/disturbing to others? Dysfunctional/disabling (harmful) to self and perhaps others?

History of Psychological Disorders and Treatment Upstate History of Psychological Disorders and Treatment Prehistoric times - bizarre and unusual behavior was thought to be due to evil spirits Greek and Roman civilizations - natural causes Hippocrates did not believe that evil spirits defiled the body.

Upstate Europe entered the dark ages For many hundreds of years, until the 1700 and 1800s bizarre behavior again was thought to have supernatural causes In the late 1400s, a pope issued a papal decree stating that there were witches in the woods and they should not be tolerated.

Upstate Two monks wrote a book about how to detect and treat witches Detection: look for a mark on body - the mark of the devil Detection: torture them until they confess Treatment: burn them at the stake or behead them and then burn them at the stake Many thousands were killed.

Upstate Why would the pope, the church, and society favor such barbaric treatment? The pope took his authority from the Bible Exodus 22:18 - “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” A time of great superstition when people could not rationally explain disease and other calamities.

Upstate During 1800s, the medical model gradually emerged A mental illness needs to be diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and cured through therapy In around 1900, scientists discovered an infectious brain disease which produced a disordered mind and bizarre behavior This gave a boost to medical model What disease was it?

The Biopsychosocial Perspective Upstate The Biopsychosocial Perspective Assumes that biological, social, and psychological factors combine to produce psychological disorder Classifying Psychological Disorders DSM-IV: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition). A system for classifying psychological disorders.

Upstate The DSM-IV defines and describes 16 clinical syndromes (categories) of mental disorder Some major categories: - Substance related disorders - Anxiety disorders - Mood disorders - Schizophrenia - Personality disorders

Labeling of Psychological Disorders Upstate Labeling of Psychological Disorders David Rosenhan’s study (1973) He and seven colleagues went to mental hospitals complaining of hearing voices What happened? Labels affect how we perceive one another Labels have the power to stigmatize people Labels and the popular media.

Upstate Anxiety Disorders 1) Generalized anxiety disorders - can escalate into panic attacks: tense, uneasy, arousal 2) Phobias - irrational fears 3) Obsessive-Compulsive disorders - obsessions (repetitive thoughts: germs, something terrible happening, order or exactness) compulsions (repetitive behaviors: excessive hand washing/bathing, repeated rituals, excessive checking) Case of Kevin. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder – memories, nightmares, jumpy, insomnia after trauma.

Dissociative Disorders: Upstate Somatoform Disorders: Disorders which take a bodily form without apparent physical cause Conversion Disorder Hypochondriasis Dissociative Disorders: Disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated from previous memories and thoughts Dissociative Identity Disorder - formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Upstate Mood Disorders 1. Major depressive disorder 2. Bipolar disorder Major depressive disorder - a person experiences two or more weeks of depressed moods for no apparent reason.

Upstate Symptoms feelings of worthlessness loss of interest appetite, sleep, energy level, sexuality thinking affected: thoughts slowed, person expects negative outcomes, things will not get better, suicidal ideas, difficulty making decisions

Some Further Information Upstate Some Further Information Depression widespread - called common cold of mental disorders About 6% of population experiences major depression Depression increasing, only 1% for those born before 1905 Major depression - usually lasts six months or less.

Upstate Women are twice as vulnerable to major depression Stressful events related to work, marriage, and close relationships often precede depression.

Genetic and Biological Causes Upstate Genetic and Biological Causes If one identical twin develops major depression, the chances are about 1 in 2 that the other twin will also Searching for the genes that put people at risk Norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter, is over abundant during mania and scarce during depression Serotonin is scarce during depression.

Upstate Bipolar disorder - formerly known as manic depressive disorder The person alternates between depression and the overexcited state of mania Manic symptoms and other information: overtalkative, overactive, elated has little need for sleep fewer sexual inhibitions grandiose optimism and self-esteem.

Upstate Case of Nancy. can fuel creativity the elated mood returns to normal or plunges into a depression less common than major depression, occurs in about 1% of the population afflicts as many men as women If one identical twin develops bipolar, the chances are 7 in 10 that the other twin will also Case of Nancy.

Upstate Schizophrenia Severe disorder – adolescence or young adult Characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions Symptoms and other information: delusions: false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur hallucinations: false perceptions (sensory experiences without sensory stimulation) which are usually auditory (hearing voices).

Upstate inappropriate emotions: laughing, crying, and exhibiting anger at inappropriate times Nonsensical communication inappropriate actions: such as, continually rocking or remaining motionless for hours afflicts about 1% of population can develop gradually (called chronic) and recovery is doubtful can develop suddenly (called acute) and recovery is more likely Onset in adolescence or young adulthood.

Causes of Schizophrenia: Upstate Causes of Schizophrenia: Recent studies link this disorder with brain abnormalities and genetic predispositions Dopamine overreactivity - excess of receptors for dopamine Brain anatomy - shrinking of limbic system areas Problems during prenatal period Genetic factors - if one identical twin develops this disorder, chances are one in two the other will also The Cases of Bob and Missy.

Personality Disorders: Upstate Personality Disorders: Antisocial Personality Disorder - formerly called a sociopath or a psychopath typically male, developing before 15 exhibits lack of conscience and often unrestrained sexual behavior express little regret and guilt over violating other’s rights unconcerned with social rewards and low in anxiety even as children.